Offseason Moves Series: Draft Day

Daequan Cook. Technically, the Heat did not draft him, but after a bit of wheeling and dealing, that is who the Heat ended up with. Miami originally picked Jason Smith, the man with the most boring name ever. But after being a member of the Heat for all of five minutes, Smith was traded to Philadelphia for their pick, Daequan Cook. The Heat really needed some help in the athleticism department, but can Cook deliver?

Daequan Cook Profile

Name: Daequan Cook
Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 20
Height: 6-6
Weight: 203

Strengths

For starters, he is physically ready for the NBA and is a phenomenal athlete. He can jump with the best and has even been known to rebound quite well. He is also more than willing to take shots and big ones at that; I watched him make some huge shots for the Buckeyes. Cook’s first step is also decently fast, giving him the ability to drive to the hole. He can also finish well.

Weaknesses

Cook’s willingness to take shots is also a weakness. He can rely too heavily on his jump shot, given his ability to drive to the basket. He also doesn’t seem to know how to draw contact well enough. He needs to be able to get to the foul line more often.

Is Daequan Cook a Good Fit?

Well, that all depends on who you ask. Here are some of my favorite quotes regarding the Heat’s picking Cook:

We all love Cook’s talent, but he likely will have the same role in Miami that he had at Ohio State — on the bench. Pat Riley doesn’t have much patience for young players who aren’t ready. (Just ask Dorell Wright.)

He couldn’t crack the starting lineup of a college team…

Cook unlikely to help Heat find the right path.

Ah yes, the media does not seem to have faith in Riley… But as I discussed in my previous article, Riley has proven time and again that his methods work. And quite frankly, I think this will all work out, but not necessarily like most of my peers think it will.

Jonnylons from the MiamiHeatWave believes that Cook will have an immediate impact. That he and Wade will be able to play very well together. Cook is also growing on the Miami Herald’s Heat blogger Israel Gutierezz. “So the more I think about this pick, the more it makes sense for the Heat. Cook is a shooter, first of all, which gives the Heat some protection in that area if it loses Jason Kapono in free agency.” It seems that the blogosphere is fairly happy with the pick, even if the general media is not. By the way, ESPN gave the Heat a grade of a C+.

Now, to me, these types of things could happen. I mean, I am not sure that he will have any sort of immediate impact, since Riley might not even give him a chance. But he may end up being a very good player for the Heat. However, I think that it is just as likely that the Heat will trade him before he even starts a game. I read the idea that Dave Hyde had, and I think it is brilliant. He suggests that the Heat may use Cook to sweeten a deal with the Sonics in order to acquire Rashard Lewis. Now there is a player who would definitely have an immediate impact!

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